Employment should be guaranteed by the state and not by the business world, say Catholic academics in Europe

Rome, Italy, Apr 26, 2004 / 22:00 pm

According to a revealing study by Italian researchers Luca Diotavelli and Roberto Cipriani, the majority of the Catholic “intelligentsia” in Italy distrusts the market and believes the state should be the principal provider of social well-being.

This according to a new article to be published Wednesday on “L’Espresso” online by Vatican watcher Sandro Magister.  Magister was allowed access to the results of the study, for which “a large section of the Italian Catholic intelligentsia” was surveyed. 

According to Magister, in many respects this group represents European post-conciliar thought and “when questioned about politics and the economy, they reveal a markedly state-centered orientation.”

In fact, according to statistics Magister will publish in his weekly column, 44% of those questioned believe the state should obtain a job for them; 48% believe the labor market should be less regulated and less flexible.

In general, says Magister, the distrust in the market is similar to what religious sociologist Peter Berger detected years ago among American intellectuals, and such feelings to lead to opposition of the teachings of the Magisterium especially in areas related to freedom in education.

Thus Magister shows that 72% Catholic intellectuals in Italy believe the role of state in education should increase rather than diminish, while “only 18% believe a more open, diversified and competitive atmosphere is needed.”

Magister’s article, which will be available this Wednesday, cites several Italian and American analysts and examines the how these beliefs will affect the future of Catholic and social thought.

www.chiesa.espressonline.it/english